Safety stopper for liquid containers



Aug. 9, 1960 r F. CHILD SAFETY STOPPER FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 27, 1959 INVENTOR FfP/VA ND CH/LD \Q/MI-LLJ d( W ATTORNEY 1960 F. CHILD 2,948,429

SAFETY STOPPER FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed July 27, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 '0 VIII! 'IIIII 12 6 m lIj/fa I W 439 F If INVENTOR Fawn/v0 6mm ATTORNE Aug. 9, 1960 F. CHILD SAFETY STOPPER FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed July 27, 1959 3 Sheets-Shee t s INVENTOR Fawn/v0 (H/4 0 ATTORNEY 2,948,429 SAFETY STOPPER' FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Fernand Child, Lyon, France, assignor to- Proplastex, I(ghauffailles (Saone-Sz-Loire), France, a company of rance Filed July 27, 1959, Ser. No. 829,758 Claims priority, application France Aug. 6, 1958 I Claims. (Cl. 215-21) The copending. specification Ser. No. 721,836, filed on March 17, 195.9 by Rifiet & Damidot and entitled Safety stopper for liquid carrying and the like containers, now Patent No. 2,918,187, granted December 22, 1959, disclosed a safety stopper comprising a valve adapted to allow the pouring of the liquid out of the container and to prevent its unauthorized introduction, whatever may be the position and setting of the container, said .valve being associated with deflecting members, bafifle plates or movable flaps cutting out any possibility of reaching the .valve from the outside and of disturbing its operation. Said prior stopper was associated with a skirt holding its body on the container and preventing any stopper through the neck of the container without this leading to an apparent destruction of the stopper or of the stopper-holding means, while a dome-shaped section rigid with the body of the stopper was provided at its upper end with an output port for the liquid forming also an input port for air, said'dorne-shaped section being rigid. in its lower part w'th radial fins defining the chamber in which the valve is housed and may be shifted, said fins preventing any introduction of a wire or the like article through which an unauthorized person might be attempted to raise the valve.

Our present invention has for its object improvements brought to such a stopper, with a view to preventing in a still more reliable manner any fraudulent refilling of the container closed by the stopper.

To this end, there is provideda siphon-shaped path for the liquid passing out of the container immediately before it is poured outside the container throughthe port in the stopper.

Furthermore, there is provideda member in the shape of a movable inverted cup held in' position with slight friction or through slight engagement within the baffle plates constituted by the fins and above the valve onto which it drops when it is subjected to a thrust upon introduotion into the body of the stopper of a foreign article which is being pushed towards said valve.

A further feature consists in making the valve rest on a seat serving also as a packing between the stopper and the neck of the container, a certain mobility of the seat with reference to the annular packing being bestowed to it by the formation of an annular grove therein, which reduces its thickness.

There is also provided inside the valve-carrying chamber formed inside the stopper body and in contact with its inner wall, an annulus adapted to prevent the progression of any tool fraudulently introduced into the stopper, said annulus being made of a material resisting any tentative perforation, While bending under the action of a thrust, the output port being uncovered only after removal through tearing, cutting or forcing off of a web or annular tongue provided for its closing.

The invention lastly covers the arrangement of the lower lateral carrier sections of the fins acting as baifie plates, so as to form guiding slopes for the headof the valve, which engages at least one of said slopes, oscillates removal of the 2,948,429 Patented Aug. 9, 1960 a and drops back onto its seat, while the cap provided for the stopper is made rigid with the latter, whereby it shows whether the container has served as yetor otherwise.

The accompanying diagrammatic drawings illustrate by way of examples several embodiments of our invention.

In'said drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical cross-section of the stopper through line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view from below, after removal, of the seat-forming packing and of the valve.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 1 of the container turned downwardly so as to pour out its contents whereby the valve is shifted off its seat. v

Fig. 4 is also a cross-section similar to Fig. 1 after dropping of the inverted cup onto the head. of the valve.

Figs. 5 and 6 are views of the bathe system respectively in vertical cross-section through line IV--IV of Fig. 5 and in plan view from above.

Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the inverted cup respectively in vertical cross-section through line VII--VII of Fig. 8 and in plan view.

Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-section of the stopper body, the lower part of which is provided with an internal locking ring.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of said locking ring.

Figs. 11 and 12 are views of the washer serving as a packing and Eas aseat, respectively in vertical crosssection through line XIXI of Fig. 12 and in plan view.

Fig. 13 is an elevational view of the valve. I

Figs. 14 and 14a are, on an enlarged scale, vertical sectional views through line XIV-XIV of Fig. 15 of a perforated section of the washer, respectively in its open and closed condition.

Fig. 15 is a plan view of said perforated section.

Figs. 16 to 18 are longitudinal sectional views showing for three differentsloping positions of the container how the guiding slopes may act on the head of the valve.

Figs. 19 and 20 are elevational views showing. two

. modified embodiments of a closing cap rigid with the safety stopper.

Figs. 21 and 22 show the opening of a container as closed by a small web or the like member removable through tearing or drawing out.

In order to increase the difiiculty of access to the valve 112 resting on its seat 119 and closing the container, the following means are provided: on the one hand, the cylindrical wall 101 of the neck or the like opening 102 of the container extends'downwardly inside the stopper chamber to form an annular projection 103 underneath the level of the upper wall 104 of the body 105 of the stopper; on the other hand, the inner cap 106 forming part of the member carrying vertical baffie plates or fins 107 includes an upwardly directed flange 108, so as to form in a diametrical plane of the stopper and in association with the lower projection 103 of the cylindrical wall 101, a siphon-shaped passageway adapted to deflect the end of any wire (Fig. 4) which it may be attempted to introduce through the port 102, in the direction of the arrow 111, so as to reachthe valve 112 The progression of such a wire towards the valve 112 may also be preventedby an increase in the breadth of the annular baffle .110, so as to make it come nearer the axis of the stopper. p V

Lastly, even if the. fradulently introduced wire were to pass beyond these various hindrances, its own end may form a last hindrance which locks the valve 112 on its seat. To this end, there is fitted inside the central bore of the partitioned member 106-107 a removable in verted cup 113 shown separately in Figs. 7 and 8, said inverted cup engaging the space between the inner ridges 114 of the fins 113 acting as baffles. Since saidcup 113 is held in position with a slight friction and, possibly,

through a slight engagement provided by a string 116 extending along the lower edges of said ridges and engaging a peripheral groove 114 in the inverted cup, the slightest effort exerted against the outer wall of said cup in the direction of the arrow 115 (Fig. 4) causes it to drop out of its housing onto the valve 1112.

Whatever position is given to the container, there is no possibility of a flow of liquid out of the container because the cup 113, the entire height of which is now shifted between the spherical head of the valve and the lower end of the partitioned member 106197, does not allow any longer the valve 112 to move to an extent sufiicient to allow the liquid to flow out and the air to enter the stopper chamber or reversely.

A further protection against tampering may also be obtained by providing the upper central section of the cup 113 with an upper projection 117, which occupies normally the recess 118 (Figs. 1 and 4) provided at the center of the inner cap 166, for receiving said projection. The. presence of the latter increases the difficulty of returning into its normal position the cup 113 by reason of theincreased difiiculty met when attempting to first return the projection 117 into its recess.

In order to prevent any fraudulent refilling of the container in a sloping position, for instance through immersion, when the valve 112 has not returned onto its seat 119, the fins on the partitioned member, the lower ends of which are bevelled, serve as guiding slopes for the valve and produce a closing of said valve before the container enters its horizontal position.

In its pouring out position illustrated in Fig. 3, the valve 112 is released with reference to its seat 136 and allows a maximum output for the liquid when it is thus located axially of the stopper. For a less sloping position, and as illustrated in Fig. 17, it allows a flow of liquid out of the container, but the peripheral flange of the head 121 of the valve engages at least one of the sloping guides 122 along which it slides downwardly and with reference to which it may rock after the manner of a hinge, as soon as the weight of the valve stem 123 becomes predominant.

If the slope is still more reduced, as illustrated in Fig. 18, the weight of the stem 123 acts in the direction of the arrow 124 and returns the lower end of the valve 112 onto its seat 120, so as to close the opening in the latter.

It is also possible to imagine that an unauthorized person may attempt to hold the valve 112 at a distance from its seat 119 through the agency of a needle 125 introduced through the lateral wall of the stopper, as illustrated in Fig. 9; In order to prevent the end of the needle from entering a position underneath the valve 112, there is provided a cylindrical ring (Fig. the upper end of which is shrunk inwardly, so as to be fitted underneath the annular baffle plate 114} formed in the central partitioned member, said ring being housed inside the body 105 of the stopper in the section thereof located immediately above the seat 119 of the valve 112. Said ring 110 includes in its wall as many notches 148, six in the case illustrated, as there are vertical fins 1617 in the partitioned member. These notches, the breadth of which corresponds to the thickness of said fins, serve for housing the latter and allow the guiding slopes to retain their entire efiiciency, with reference to the head of the valve 112, while forming a homogeneous structure with the other parts of the stopper. Between the notches, said sections of the ring assuming in their upper part a fr'usto-conical shape, are slotted vertically starting from their upper edge, as shown at 129 in Fig.- 10.

This slotting produces tongues 131 which are yielding starting from their base towards the axis of the stopper. If it is attempted to perforate the side wall of the body of the stopper, with a view to retaining the valve 112 in its open position, at least one of the yielding tongues 131 is folded inwardly and locks thus the valve 120 onto its seat 119, as illustrated in Fig. 9.

In order to ensure an improved fluid tightness for the 4 lower end of the valve 112 with reference to its seat, it is necessary for the latter not to be subjected to any deformation produced by the deformation of the bead 132 forming the upper end of the neck 133. It is therefore of interest, according to the invention, to make the valve rest on a packing forming a seat for it, as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, which packing is held in position by the lower end of the body of the stopper engaging the annular bead 132 on the neck 133 with the interposition of said packing. In order that the'central section of said washer-shaped packing, which forms the seat of the valve, may retain a certain freedom of deformation with reference to the deformations which might be imparted to it by the bead 132 on the neck of the bottle or container carrying it, there is provided within the thickness of said packing on at least one of its broad surfaces, at least one annular groove (Fig. 11) which reduces its thickness and increases its yieldingness in registry with said groove, whereby the central section of'the packing is no longer subjected to the deformations'to which the peripheral section of said' washer is subjected.

It may occur that some liquid which has not been completely expelled out of the stopper during a dispensing of liquid remains above the valve when the container is returned into its normal upwardly directed position. In order to prevent the said liquid from remaining inside the stopper and, consequently, from being subjected to alteration, evaporation or from taking an unpleasant taste, as a consequence of its exposure to air or of a too long contact with the material forming the stopper, there may be provided at suitable points of the seat-forming packing one or more ports through which the liquid retained inside the inner chamber of the stopper may flow back into the container. In order that such ports may not serve for a large fradulent introduction of liquid into the container, it is essential to design such ports in mannersuch that the return of liquid may not be possible under pressure.

To this end, each port 138 (Figs. 14, 14a and 15) is bounded by one or more lips which are raised outward ly and are consequently spaced apart in their normal condition (Fig. 14). Said lips do not allow any flow between them of a liquid lying above them, except in the case of a load corresponding to a few drops which may have remained in position fortuitously at the end of a dispensing operation. If the least pressure is exerted on the lips by a load of liquid which is somewhat larger and, in particular, if the liquid pressure is increased by a head of liquid, the lips join each other in tight relationship, as illustrated in Fig. 14a, whereby nothing can enter the container. and no refilling is any longer possible.

In order to still further reduce the possibilities of tampering by an unauthorized person, it is possible to make the tampering apparent in the following manner: each stopper body is moulded together with the covering cap 141 (-Figs. 19 and 20) which serves for protecting the upper section of the neck of the container against dust and impurities. The body of the stopper and its cap are interconnected by a binding member, so as to form a single unit; to separate said body and cap, it is necessary to destroy the binding member between them, which shows that the bottle or the like container has already been opened. Said member connecting the cap 141 with the body of the stopper may be secured to any point of the stopper, say at'142, as illustrated in Fig. 19, but it may be of interest to make said cap 141 inte ral with 2. lug 143 adapted to make the destruction of the small web or lid 144 for the upper part of the stopper body easier through mere tearing out. To open the container, it is thus necessary to tear out said lid and if the cap 141 is secured to the lower end of the binding member. said cap may form a convenient means for tearing out the lid.

According to another embodimentand in order to estates cut out as men as possible the risks of a' fraudulent re moval and of untimely leakages, the output port 86 (Fig; 21) towards the outside of the stopper body is completely closed not only by the cap 87, but also by an inner lid or web 88 rigid with the neck '89 and molded with the latter, while a section 91 of a lesser resistance is provided adjacent said lid 88 or at the periphery thereof 'and a projecting strip '92 is provided for tearing said lid out. In this latter embodiment, the cap 87 is screwed at 93 over the outer wall of the body of the stopper.

In a preferred embodiment (Fig. 22), the 7, cap is fitted at 90 over the upper edge of the body of the stopper and it is held thereon through engagement of the dispensing spout 1% inside the inner tubular projection 102 of the cap.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the sole embodiments which have been more particularly described and it covers all the modifications thereof falling Within the scope of the accompanying claims and, in particular, it is possible to modify the means for securing the inverted safety cup, the means for holding the latter in position ready for operation and also the means for executing a connection between the body of the stopper and the cap which is to cover the opening of the stopper.

What I claim is:

l. A safety stopper for a liquid-carrying bottle and the like container provided with an opening in its neck, comprising a hollow chamber-defining body fitted coaxially with reference to the opening of the container, provided with coaxial openings registering with the outer atmosphere and with the inside of the container respectively and including a seat surrounding the opening registering with the inside of the container, a valve slidingly resting on said seat, deflecting means fitted inside the body chamber including radial fins extending between said seat and the opening in the body facing the atmosphere, defining between their inner edgesa free axial opening and underneath which the valve is shiftable between its normal position of rest on its seat and a released position occupied by it upon setting of the container at a sufiicient slope to allow passage of liquid between said valve and its seat, an inverted cup-shaped member fitted releasably within an annular space inside the fins to face the valve and adapted to drop on the latter upon introduction of a foreign member through the opening in the body which registers with the atmosphere and between successive fins.

2. A safety stopper for a liquid-carrying bottle and the like container provided with an opening in its neck comprising a hollow chamber-defining body fitted coaxially with reference to the opening of the container, provided with coaxial openings registering with the outer atmosphere and with the inside of the container respec tively and provided further inwardly with a downwardly facing annular step registering with the upper edge of the container neck, a packing washer inserted between said annular step and the upper edge of the container neck and including an annular inner section forming a seat for the valve and separated from the outer section of the washer by a narrow annular area of reduced thickness, a valve slidingly resting on said seat, deflecting means fitted inside the body chamber, including radial fins extending between said seat and the opening in the body facing the atmosphere, defining between their inner edges a free axial opening and underneath which the valve is shiftable between its normal position of rest on its seat and a released position occupied by it upon setting of the container at a suificient slope to allow passage of liquid between said valve and its seat, and an inverted cup-shaped member fitted releasably within an annular space inside the fins to face the valve and adapted to drop on the latter upon introduction of a 6 foreign member through the registers with the atmosphere and between successive fins.

3. A safety stopper for a liquid-carrying bottle and the like container provided with an opening in its neck, comprising a hollow chamber-defining body fitted coaxially with reference to the opening of the container, provided with coaxial openings registering with the outer atmosphere and with the inside of the container respectively and including a seat surrounding the opening registering with the inside of the container, a valve slidingly resting on said seat, a locking ring engaging the inner surface of the stopper chamber and made of 'a material resisting perforation and bending locally under the action of a thrust, deflecting means fitted inside the body chamber, includingradial fins extending between said seat and the opening in the body facing the atmosphere, defining between their inner edges a free axial opening and underneath which the valve is 'shiftable between its normal position of rest on its seat and 21 released position occupied by it upon setting of the container at a suflicient slope to allow passage of liquid between said valve and its seat, and an inverted cup-shaped member fitted releasably within an annular space inside the fins to face the valve and adapted to drop on the latter upon introduction of a foreign member through the opening in the body which registers with the atmosphere and between successive fins.

4. A safety stopper for a liquid-carrying bottle and the like container provided with an opening in its neck, comprising a hollow chamber-defining body fitted coaxially with reference to the openingof the container, provided with coaxial openings registering with the outer atmosphere and with the inside of the container respectively and provided further inwardly with a downwardly facing annular step registering with the upper edge of the container neck, a packing washer inserted between said annular step and the upper edge of the container neck and including an annular innersection forming'a seat for a valve and separated from the outer section of the washer by a narrow annular area of reduced thickness, a valve slidingly resting on said seat, deflecting means fitted inside the body chamber, including radial fins extending between said seat and the opening in the body facing the atmosphere, defining between their inner edges a free axial opening and underneath which the valve is shiftable'between its normal position of rest on its seat and a released position occupied by it upon setting of the container at a sufiicient slope to allow passage of liquid between saidvalve and its seat, an inverted cup-shaped member fitted releasably within an annular space inside the fins to face the valve and adapted to drop on the latter upon introduction of a foreign member through the opening in the body which registers with the atmosphere and between suc-' cessive fins, a dished member resting on said inverted cup and the peripheral flange of which flares outwardly, and an annular downwardly directed projection rigid with the upper end of the stopper body round the opening in the latter registering with the atmosphere and form ing with the peripheral flange of the dished member a siphon-shaped path for the liquid entering the chamber in the stopper body.

5. A safety stopper for a liquid-carrying bottle and the like container provided with an opening in its neck, comprising a hollow chamber-defining body fitted coaxially with reference to the opening of the container, provided with coaxial openings registering with the outer atmosphere and with the inside of the container respectively and provided further inwardly with a downwardly facing annular step registering with the upper edge'of the container neck, a packing washer inserted between said annular step and the upper edge of the container neck and including an annular inner section forming a opening in the body which 7 seat for a valve and separated from the outer section of the Washer by a narrow annular area of reduced thickness, a valve slidingly resting on said seat, deflecting means fitted'inside the body chamber, including radial fins extending between said seat and the opening in the body facing the atmosphere, defining between their inner edges a free axial opening and underneath which the valve is shiftable between its normal position of rest on its seat and a released position occupied by it upon setting of the container at a suificient slope to allow passage of liquid between said valve and its seat, an inverted cup-shaped member fitted releasably within an annular space inside the fins to face the valve and adapted to drop on the latter upon introduction of a foreign member through the opening in the body which registers with the atmosphere and between successive fins, a central projection raised axially on said inverted cup, a dished member resting on said inverted cup and the peripheral flange of which flares upwardly, an annular downwardly directed projection rigid with the upper end of the stopper body round the opening in the latter registering with the atmosphere and forming with the peripheral flange of the dished member a siphonshaped path for the liquid entering the chamber in the stopper body, said dished member being provided with a central recess in its lower surface to normally cap the central projection on the inverted cup.

6. A safety stopper for a liquid-carrying bottle and the like container provided with an opening in its neck, comprising a hollow chamber-defining body fitted coaxially with reference to the opening of the container, provided with coaxial openings registering with the outer atmosphere and with the inside of the container respectively and including a seat surrounding the opening registering with the inside of the container, a valve slidingly resting on said seat, deflecting means fitted inside the body chamber, including radial fins extending between said seat and the opening in the body facing the outer atmosphere, defining between their inner edges a free axial opening and underneath which the valve is shiftable between its normal position to rest on its seat and a released position occupied by it upon setting of the container at a sufiicient slope to allow passage of liquid between the said valve and its seat, the lower edges of the fins of the deflecting means forming guiding slopes adapted to cooperate with the head of the valve, and an inverted cup-shaped member fitted releasably within an annular space inside the fins to face the valve and adapted to drop on the latter upon introduction of a foreign member through the opening in the body which registers with the atmosphere and between successive fins.

7. A safety stopper for a liquid-carrying bottle and the like container provided with an opening in its neck, comprising a hollow chamber-defining body fitted coaxially with reference to the opening of the container provided with coaxial openings registering with the outer atmosphere and with the inside of the container respectively and including a seat surrounding the opening registering with the inside of the container, a valve slidingly resting on said seat, deflecting means fitted inside the body chamber, including radial fins extending between said seat and the opening in the body facing the mosphere, defining between their inner edges a free axial opening and underneath which the valve is shiftable between its normal position of rest on its seat and a released position occupied by it upon setting of the container at a sufiicient slope to allow passage of liquid between said valve and its seat, an inverted cup-shaped member fitted releasably within an annular space inside the fins to face the valve and adapted to drop on the latter upon introduction of a foreign member through the opening in the body which registers with the atmosphere and between successive fins, a closing cap for the 'opening of the stopper body registering with theat- 8 mosphere and a binding member securing said cap to the stopper body and adapted to be torn off for dispensation of the contents of the container.

8. A safety stopper for a comprising a. hollow chamber-defining body fittedcoaxially with reference to tr e opening of the container, provided with coaxial openings registering with the outer atmosphere and with the inside of the container respectively and including a seat surrounding the opening registering with the inside of the container, a valve slidingly resting on said seat, deflecting means fitted inside the body chamber, including radial fins extending between said seat and the opening in the body facing the mosphere, defining between their inner edges a free 1 opening and underneath which the valve is shift able between its normal position of rest on its seat and a released position occupied by it upon setting of the container at a sufficient slope to allow passage of liquid between said valve and its seat, an inverted cup-shaped member fitted r leasably within an annular space inside the fins to face the valve and adapted to drop on the latter upon introduction of a foreign member through the opening in the body which registers with the atmosphere and between successive fins, a transverse partition integral with the body enclosing the opening thereof into the atmosphere and means for tearing ofl? said partition.

9. A safety stopper for a liquid-carrying bottle and the like container provided with an opening in its neck, comprising a hollow chamber-defining body fitted coaxially with reference to the opening of the container, provided with coaxial openings registering with the outer atmosphere and with the inside of the container respectively and including a seat surrounding the opening registering with the inside of the container, a valve slidingly resting on said seat, at least one port being provided round said seat to allow the return of any drops of liquid remaining over said seat after a dispensation of liquid, deflecting means fitted inside the body chamber, including radial fins extendirn between said seat and the opening in the body facing the atmosphere, defining between their inner edges a free axial opening and underneath which the valve is shiftable between its normal position of rest on its seat and a released position occupied by it upon setting of the container at a sulficient slope to allow passage of liquid between said valve and its seat, and an inverted cup-shaped member fitted releasably within an annular space inside the fins to face the valve and adapted to drop on the latter upon introduction of a foreign member through the opening in the body which registers with the atmosphere and between successive fins.

10. A safety stopper for a liquid-carrying bottle and the like container provided with an opening in its neck, comprising a hollow chamber-defining body fitted coaxially with reference to the opening of the container, provided with coaxial openings registering with the outer atmosphere and with the inside of the container respectively and provided further inwardly with a downwardly facing annular step registering with the upper edge of the container neck, a packing washer inserted between said annular step and the upper edge of the container neck and including an annular inner section forming a seat for a valve and separated from the outer section of the washer by a narrow annular area of reduced thickness, said packing being provided with at least one slot, the lips of which close under the action of a predetermined pressure and remain open for the return into the container of any drops of liquid remaining on the seat after dispensation, a valve slidingly resting on said seat, deflecting means fitted inside the body chamber, including radial fins extending between said seat and the opening' in the body facing the atmosphere, defining between liquid-carrying bottle and r the like container provided with opening in its neck,

9 their inner edges a free axial opening and underneath which the valve is shiftable between its normal position of rest on its seat and a released position occupied by it upon setting of the container at a suificient slope to allow passage of liquid between said valve and its seat, and an inverted cup-shaped member fitted releasably 10 within an annular space inside the fins to face the valve and adapted to drop on the latter upon introduction of a foreign member through the opening in the body which registers with the atmosphere and between successive No references cited. 

